More rooms, books to aid Basilan school

Manila, Philippines - For a school with more than a thousand students, a mini library transformed from an old stockroom would not be enough.

Thus was the sentiment of Rustico Entero, principal of B. Aldana Central Elementary School in Lamitan, Basilan.

Addressing the problem of room shortage, the school’s PTA (Parent-Teacher Association) constructed a semi-concrete classroom to accommodate students and decongest overcrowded rooms. However, the library space remained the same due to financial constraints.

“Our school caters not only to the educational requirements of Lamitenos but also to the needs of other students from nearby towns of Tipo-Tipo and Tuburan. We have more than a thousand students over the last school years, however, the number could still increase in the coming school year due to transferees from other far-flung schools,” says Entero.

To complement the school’s efforts to provide better learning, Makati Garden Club, in partnership with the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), provided textbooks in English, Science, and Math to the less fortunate students of Lamitan.

Eleven-year-old student Teddy Suraman said that he no longer needs to spend for Internet research since there are new materials in the library he and his classmates could use.

Project Escuelas also assisted two other schools in Lamitan, namely Magsaysay Elementary School and Mabini Elementary School.

In Maguindanao, Project Escuelas supported Katil Elementary School and Malala Elementary School in Datu Paglas. One hundred armchairs were also donated to each school in an effort to close the seat gap.

Indigent students of Datu Saililla Elementary School in Datu Abdulla Sangki, Maguindanao were also recipients of the educational assistance.